O2 Xda Argon for business, gadget fiends

Yesterday O2, the network that loves bubbles, announced it was adding a new handset to its business phone portfolio called the Xda Argon. The Argon is the long-awaited successor to the O2 Xda IIi and offers a similar feature set.

At the time of its launch back in 2005, the Xda IIi was a feature-packed, cutting-edge handset that appealed to executives and gadget fiends alike. Two years on and we're not sure if the Argon has the same wow factor.

Yes, there's a large 89mm (3.5-inch) color touchscreen, Wi-Fi connectivity and support for push email, but there's still no 3G and relative to some other smart phones, the 2-megapixel camera is below par. We're also disappointed that it runs Window Mobile 5.0 and not Microsoft's latest version of its mobile OS, Windows Mobile 6.0.

Niggles aside, compared to the Xda IIi, this is a slightly better device and if you're an Xda IIi user looking for an upgrade then it's worth checking out. We'll reserve our final judgment for the full review. The O2 Xda Argon is available for free on a monthly contract from O2's online business shop and high street stores.